1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to safety apparatus for law enforcement officers and more specifically relates to an easily accessible and portable shielding device and associated mount.
2. Background
The disclosed shield and mount provide immediate access to the shield to a law enforcement officer or other individual within a vehicle.
Law enforcement officers are particularly vulnerable to attack from small caliber arms or other projectile launching devices when the officers are seated within a vehicle. For example, it is known for assailants to fire weapons at law enforcement officers as the officer is writing a citation or preparing other paper work in the vehicle, or when the officer is merely parked alongside a roadway and observing traffic. While it is common for law enforcement officers to wear protective vests which protect their chest and abdomen, the officer's head, neck, shoulders, and upper arms are typically exposed. While the use of shield devices is known, typically when used with riot gear, the conventional shields are not readily available for use and easy access while the office is seated within the vehicle.
Conventional shields have the desirable feature of providing protection for a large portion of the officer's body, and are therefore sized accordingly. However, such shields are, by necessity, stored in the trunk or back seat of the vehicle and are therefore not readily accessed by an officer seated in the front seat of a vehicle. Unfortunately, there are no known ballistic shields which may be accessed immediately by an officer seated within his or her vehicle. Given the amount of time officers may spend seated within their vehicles, the officer may have significant exposure to being fired upon by hostile individuals.
Examples of patented shield devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,495 to Sankar; U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,947 to Bauer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,394 to Martino; U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,735 to Mui et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,052 to Gabriel; U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,686 to Sankar; U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,949 to Carreira; U.S. Pat. No. 7,124,675 to Sand; U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,515 to Prock; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,971,516 to Hogan, which are all illustrative of such prior art. While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not readily accessible to an officer seated within the front seat of a vehicle. None of the generally known devices is mountable to the inside panel of the vehicle door, thereby providing the officer easy access to a protective shield when a need arises unexpectedly.